2008 APBA Cards: Who got a gift and who got shafted?

This is a precarious time for APBA baseball fans.  On the APBA forums, precious few have the magic information (card ratings) we all crave.  There is little else we all gain from this info other than curiosity since we will all see these cards at some point soon.  That doesn’t prevent us (me included) from desperately (admittedly, some more desperate than others) seeking numbers on certain players, most likely players on our teams (dang, Glavine is a D).

With all that said and a good number of pitchers grades in as well as a lot of the defensive ratings, let’s take a look at who got a gift and who got the shaft from the guys in Lancaster. 

Who got a gift?

Let’s start out with some defensive ratings.  Some opined that Lance Berkman was lucky to get a 1B-5 rating for his glove.  I tend to agree.  That was a jump up from his 1B-4 rating last year.  Perhaps a boost from his hitting numbers?  Sounds illogical but I wouldn’t be surprised. 

A couple other defensive gifts were Carlos Lee and Justin Upton who were both OF-2.  Lee’s rating was a point higher than last year’s. Upton just lucky two years in a row. 

Like Berkman, Ryan Braun may have benefited defensively from a good offensive year.  His OF-1 last year turned into an OF-2 this year. 

Some were surprised by Felix Pie’s OF-3.  As a Cub fan, I’m not sure what to think.  I mean it IS the only thing he could right in 2008.

But the ultimate gift, the one rating that most people agreed was egregious, was Edison Volquez’ grade of 16xyw. 

Here are Volquez’ stats:

With these numbers, Edison pulling off an A is quite a coup.  As an added bonus, Volquez is in our rookie draft.  *must not be tempted… must keep focused*

Who got shafted?

Getting an unexpected good grade or rating on a player on your team is real nice but nothing is more anguishing than having a player (or worse, pitcher) not get that expected grade but rather something worse. 

Now some in the forums were surprised at Scott Rolen’s 3B-4.  I wasn’t.  I think Scotty’s days with the golden glove are in the past and his 4 is probably warranted. 

However, Carlos Quentin and Delmon Young both got OF-1 ratings and I know that a few people out there who think they deserved better.

Teddy Ballgame says the same about secondbaseman Felipe Lopez who got a lowly 2B-6.  TB opines, if he’s a 6, then so is Dan Uggla.  Let’s put Uggla in the gift category then.

Michael Young gets a SS-9.  Really?

Some have mentioned Carlos Zambrano deserved better than a 8.  As a Cub fan, nothing would please me more than to nudge Big Z into the B territory.  But his last start in 2008 when he gave up 5 runs pushed him over the edge.  With a 3.91 ERA and 14 wins, I just don’t see it. 

The biggest shaft this year?  No doubt it’s Matt Capps and his 9z.  It’s very possible that Capps will get a zz rating and most likely that affected his rating (just as Volquez’ w rating may have affected his).  But still, Capps’ ERA of 3.02 is dang low for a basic game C.  Here are Matt Capps’ stats:

A short term reliever isn’t going to make or break any APBA league team but nonetheless Capps’ 9 rating seems to be the widest gap in APBA’s formula. 

The hitting numbers have been few and far between so far (though I did get my Albert Pujols’ 1-1-0-0-0-7-8-8-8-8-9-9, 5 14, (1B-5)(2B-5), yum!).  Others are starting to come through, too. 

Did you notice any player or pitcher who didn’t get a rating you expected?  Let us know in the comment section. 

Thanks to Teddy Ballgame for his help with this article.